Walk in to the greeting, "Aloha and Welcome Home!"...

Walk in to the greeting, "Aloha and Welcome Home!". Aulani is truly our home away from home despite living on O'ahu. As a DVC family, Aulani is our home resort and our stay is never less than stellar. The views are somehow more magical in the resort than from our home windows, the food tastier and the time moves slower.

We enjoy floating in the lazy pool, makahiki breakfast and specialty snacks like a Mickey Mouse Shave Ice. Resort merchandise is always pricey but the sales always include amazing steals, too. There will occasionally be pop-up sales that even include Alex & Ani charm bracelets at a real deal. When staying at the resort, we get a 2 bedroom villa which is fully equipped with a kitchen, jet stream tub and rainfall shower head. Groceries (meals generally) at the resort are pricey so if looking to save a bit and able, purchase food outside of the resort and cook in. DVC members get the extra perks of free parking and discount merchandise.

If local and looking for a casual yet Disney experience, Makahiki is top choice and a guarantee of pictures with characters; it has become our hop-over to celebrate family birthdays. A disc of all pictures from brunch runs $35 but in my opinion, always worth it.

Tip: On the way out, at checkout you can request a day pass to finish out the day at the resort even after you leave the room and still get access to the showers to leave feeling fresh!